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Enjoy Birding in Upstate NY's Great Outdoors

posted by Teresa Farrell at 2018-05-17 22:21:00

Looking for a summertime activity that anyone can enjoy? Have you tried bird watching? Simple and relaxing, bird watching—also known as birding-- is an excellent way to enjoy the great outdoors.  It’s also one of the fastest-growing types of outdoor recreation, with over 50 million Americans reporting that it’s become one of their go-to hobbies. All you really need to get started is a pair of binoculars, a guidebook, a camera, and curiosity about exploring the world of birds.



Some of Upstate New York’s best bird watching spots  can be found along the southern and eastern shores of Lake Ontario, where different ecosystems and environmental areas each host different types of birds and wildlife. On the south shore of the lake, the regions of Braddock Bay  and Rochester  offer nine stops for bird watchers, three of which are Audubon-designated Important Bird Areas. Various parks in the area offer spectacular bird watching opportunities, and the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory, Owl Woods and Raptor Branding Station, and Braddock Bay Park and Hawk Watch each cater to a specific type of birding interest.



Nearby, the area between Sodus Bay  and Little Sodus Bay is renowned as a diverse bird watcher’s paradise, offering sanctuary for wintering, breeding, and migrant birds of many varieties, including those that prefer farmlands, marshes, woodlands, sheltered bays and open lake areas. Various state parks, a wildlife management area, and the Sterling Nature Center  each offer different habitats to explore. The Mexico Bay area, on the southeastern end of Lake Ontario, attracts many different species of birds at various times throughout the year, with a town park, a state park, a sanctuary, and the Derby Hill Bird Observatory each offering a different way to experience birding in the bay area. This region is also home to the Eastern Lake Ontario Dunes  area, a stretch of shoreline with natural sand dunes that form a rare and unique habitat that many birds love.



You don’t need to be a budding biologist to enjoy bird watching. Make the experience your own. If you like, you can bring a checklist of different birds  that you may find when you head out, and see how many you can spot. Or just go exploring, and leave the lists at home. Either way, make sure you take the time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the singing of the birds.



Photo Credits:
Cardinal: Credit John Flannery via Flickr
Black-Capped Chickadee: Credit Ken Gibson via Flickr
Eastern Bluebird: Credit Fyn Kynd via Flickr
Downy Woodpecker: DaPuglet
Great Blue Heron at Sunset: Rosscrawford


 

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